First Mercator Seminar: A transdisciplinary view on globalization

On 30 January, 2004, 25 IUB students participated in an exceptional seminar: Six scientists, representing such diverse disciplines as law, entrepreneurship, conflict research, and ethics, gave talks on various aspects of globalization and were available for a group discussion with the students. Held in the common room of IUB’s Mercator College this miniature congress was the first “Mercator Seminar”, which is planned to become an annual event.

[ Jan 30, 2004]  The talks, which crossed the boundaries of traditional academic disciplines, covered a wide range of themes: Politics, culture, ethical, business and law issues – caught between conflicting national and supranational interests – were topics as well as problems of national and international regulations on the approval of transgenic plants. All speakers at this seminar are holders of university chairs or teaching positions endowed by the Mercator Foundation, which is sponsoring the seminar series. As a patron the foundation also financed the renovation and construction of IUB’s second college by donating € 6.5 million. Ten members of the Mercator Foundation, the foundation’s head Dr. Michael Schmidt amongst them, participated in the seminar and the group discussion as well as Dr. Alexander Lerchl, Professor of Biology at IUB.

“As we attach great importance to develop the students’ global frame of mind here at IUB, this year’s seminar topic was a valuable supplement to the students’ curricular education. The talks and especially the group discussion offered the chance to fill the rather abstract and theoretical term of “globalization” with tangible meaning,” says Klaus Boehnke, Professor of Social Science Methodology at IUB. He and his wife Mandy Boehnke share the position of College Master of Mercator College and organized and hosted the event. Klaus Boehnke emphasized the importance of the seminar series: “The Mercator Foundation supports a pool of excellent scientists. The seminar therefore offers a unique chance to assemble interesting experts who are prepared to communicate their expertise to a relatively small audience.” The organizers of the seminar had no problems to fill the seminar spaces limited to 25 participants. The transdisciplinary approach to the subject attracted students with humanities and social science majors as well as those studying natural sciences. Plans are discussed whether the seminar may also mark the starting point of a series of edited books on transdisciplinary topics of wider scientific impact.

Mercator Foundation The Swiss Mercator Foundation was founded in 1996, the Mercator Foun-dation in Germany in 1997, both by the Karl Schmidt family. The two foundations support innova-tive concetpts in higher education and also intercultural understanding of children and young people. This in keeping with the famous Duisburg cartographer, scientist and 16th-century entrepreneur Gerhard Mercator after whom the Foundation is named. more info »